No Crisis Too Big For Kashmir’s Young Volunteers; The Wire
https://thewire.in/government/coronavirus-kashmir-volunteers
Like Mir, in Srinagar, 38-year-old Hakim Ilyas is helping frontline workers by providing them with personal protective equipment (PPE) kits.
“We decided to prepare these kits at the local level to help healthcare professionals deal with the rigours of the crisis,” he says.
On March 22, Ilyas contacted skilled workers like tailors and other manufacturers who were already in the market, to manufacture PPE kits.
Two days later, they finally started delivering products. “We contacted every person working in our NGO, Ehsaas Trust International, to take the drive ahead. Since then, 321 people are engaged actively in this,” he told The Wire.
So far, they have delivered PPE kits to COVID-19 hospitals like Chest Diseases Hospital, JLN hospital, JVC and others. Apart from Srinagar, they supplied kits to districts like Kupwara, Baramulla, Sopore, Anantnag, and Pulwama as per necessities put forth by district authorities.
Kit deliveries take place every day. The 321 people work nearly 18-hour shifts and are the only leading organisation currently operating in Kashmir who is supplying PPE kits and masks.
“Along with kits, we are supplying triple layer masks and full head-to-toe cover body shields to any person engaged in the services of quarantined people,” says Ilyas, who has made separate teams for management, delivery, processing, quality check and demand.
Hakim Ilyas addresses the team on PPE kits. Photo: By special arrangement.
“Polypropylene [the material used to make these kits] is not easily available in the market due to the lockdown. Also, the sellers have hiked the price of raw material citing various reasons,” he says, adding that polypropylene which contains 90 to 130 GSM thicknesses is considered best for frontline users.
Ilyas would like more doctors and experts to come on board for quality checks. The team has received enough funds to pay tailors and other processing units.
When authorities offered them money, Ilyas refused.
Apart from funds, he says that the Srinagar district administration has supported them fully by providing them with free transport and another services. “They appreciated our work and are there to help in any circumstances,” says Ilyas.
The market price of one kit is around Rs 1,000 to 1,200. Ilyas’s team has been able to produce the same kit at Rs 230-350. This is because of the fluctuating price of the raw material, he says.
Ifrah Butt, 28, a volunteer from Srinagar, has also joined the team to help them. “I could not stop myself. We all know how important it is to ensure the safety of our frontline workers. Their protection is a must,” she says.
For her and for others, this is but a small exercise in helping others first and then helping oneself.